Nick Diaz issued yearlong suspension, $60,000 fine by the NAC

Fans’ hopes of seeing Nick Diaz escape punishment for his failed drug test in February went up in smoke Monday when the polarizing pugilist was punished fully by the Nevada Athletic Commission. The 28-year old was suspended for a year and fined 30% of his purse from the related bout, a sum equating to $60,000.

Additionally, when Diaz’s mandatory shelving runs out he will have to test cleanly before receiving approval for a license to fight in the State (assuming he even wants to return to the ring).

Diaz was found to have marijuana metabolites in his system before a bout with Carlos Condit. The native Californian has a prescription to smoke medicinal pot and has never hidden his marijuana use, stating he ceased using the drug eight days prior to his match-up with Condit as he’d done before his other contests.

Interestingly, during the proceedings NAC executive Keith Kizer stated the sample Diaz submitted in his fight with B.J. Penn this past October came back as “diluted/abnormal” and even his February test had been hard to obtain with Diaz initially refusing until being told his salary would be withheld without the procedure.

Presently the former Strikeforce welterweight champ is retired and has not changed course in his decision to quit MMA other than stating he would consider a comeback if cleared by the NAC. While his return seems more unlikely than ever at this point one thing is certain – Diaz will not be fighting in the United States, if anywhere, until February 2013 at the earliest.